The Great Resignation narrative may be shifting inside HR offices

According to the Lattice 2023 State of People Strategy Report, finds that though recruiting was professionals’ #2 priority last year, it dropped to 8th place this year.

A new report suggests that the narrative of the Great Resignation may be shifting inside HR offices.

According to the Lattice 2023 State of People Strategy Report, priorities are changing for HR professionals. The report, which is based on a survey of 820 HR employees in a range of different industries and countries, finds that, though recruiting was professionals’ #2 priority last year, it dropped to 8th place this year. Instead, greater importance is being placed on retention efforts, with voluntary turnover ranked the most important key performance indicator.

What retention measures are top HR companies putting into place? The report finds a variety of factors that unite successful teams, including investment in programs that employees care about; offering pay transparency; investing in growth opportunities, like coaching; and connecting compensation to performance. 

Top performing companies also used more data and had more frequent performance reviews than lower-ranking HR companies, the survey shows.

Most HR teams recognize these needs, according to the report. For instance, most survey respondents agree that pay and performance should be linked, even if they say their companies are not yet doing so. 

However, on other desired measures, HR professionals are more reluctant to give employees what they want. For example, though most HR professionals realize employees desire more pay transparency, many say they are worried about employee reactions to transparency – enough so to drag their feet on implementing new compensation measures.

In order to improve company HR, the survey suggests a variety of strategies may be effective, including using multiple DEI tools and implementing “structured frameworks” for performance management.

Read more: How employers are leveraging benefits to recruit and retain workers

Overall, the report says that HR professionals should let employees guide the way. “The most important thing you can do for your employees is to listen to what they want and need,” says Farrah Jessani Mitra, founder of coaching company Green Reed, according to the report. “The world has changed so much that what was once important may have also changed or become of even more importance.”